The niche and paratextual industries of games and play

Part 4

In my card game I wanted to create something that, while strategic, had a bit of “the social game” to it. Where people would talk out their strategies or even just generally converse with their opponent during their turns. It’s interesting to note in the article “Chores Are Fun: Understanding Social Play in Board Games for Digital Tabletop Game Design” Xu et al states that, ““chores” in board games (e.g. waiting for a turn, rule learning and enforcement, maneuvering physical objects), which at first appear to be merely functional, are critical for supporting players’ engagement with each other,” (2011). I couldn’t agree more with this point because I can relate to how these moments can sometimes be the best time for discussions to happen. They allow everyone to get their comments in about the game that’s being played, or they could be related to anything.

The article also says that it is important that these “chores” aren’t done automatically through digital devices because this completely takes away from some of the social interactions, which, in turn, could ruin the gameplay experience (Xu et al, 2011). It’s something that may seem like an annoying thing to have to do when there are other, easier, ways of achieving the same end goal but there would be significant loss in immersion with the game itself.

The article also points out how each player is “playing their own game”. This would apply to my turn based game because while one player is deciding on what cards they will put down, their opponent is trying to anticipate that move and how they can counteract that move and even go on to win the game. Always thinking more than one step ahead is something that I would like to think players would be aware of. This is also because at any moment a “Lieutenant Card” could be played and their whole game could be thrown for a loop if they aren’t prepared.

I think this idea of synchronised emotions that is brought up in this article is great and really adds to the gaming experience. I think feeding off the energy of both players is imperative to ones enjoyment in the game and wanting to beat their opponent. This could also lead to players wanting to play again and again whether they win or lose.